Motomu Toriyama
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
game director
and scenario writer who has been working for Square Enix
since 1995. He is the director in charge of the main series Final Fantasy
games developed by their 1st Production Department, which is managed by Yoshinori Kitase
.
Yoshinori Kitase specifically chose Toriyama to be his successor as director of main series Final Fantasy
games developed by Product Development Division 1 after the positive reception to Final Fantasy X
, which was Toriyama's directorial debut. At the South Korean launch event of Final Fantasy XIII
, Yoshinori Kitase said that he wants to continue working closely with Toriyama on main series Final Fantasy games.
. He believes his strength is in creating games that are very story-driven. He also believes that it becomes very difficult to tell a compelling story when the player is given a huge amount of freedom to explore. According to him, the most important aspect of a Final Fantasy
game is the characters. Toriyama aimed for the game design
of the first half of Final Fantasy XIII
to play like watching a film. The reason was so the player could become absorbed with the story and characters and not get distracted or lost.
He also highly values vibrant special effects being used in the battle system of the game he is directing; the main reason for Final Fantasy XIII not to have a seamless battle system was reportedly because it would not have been possible to have vibrant special effects in a seamless battle system due to the amount of memory and processing power needed. Toriyama is interested in using first-person shooter
games for inspiration rather than other role-playing video game
s, as he believes they give a better sense of tension during battles.
The position in the story and duties in battle of the female character depends on the game Toriyama is working on. He does not base heroines on real people as he always tries to make a unique world in a Final Fantasy game. However, he thinks that there is a constant challenge to make new characters not overlap with previous ones from the series. Toriyama has noted that seeing as making a main series Final Fantasy game takes several years, he would need to essentially fall in love at first sight with a character so he can really have the high morale and motivation to keep developing the game. He also said that when portraying a character in a game, he takes extreme care in their movements and voice. This begins with the motion-capture process, which he directs very intricately to prevent messing up the personification of the character. The voice acting comes last in this process, and the recorded voice essentially becomes the main image of the character and so the most delicate part of creating a character, according to him.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
game director
Game director
Game director may refer to:* Video game producer, the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game* Technical director, usually a senior technical person within creative group...
and scenario writer who has been working for Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
since 1995. He is the director in charge of the main series Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
games developed by their 1st Production Department, which is managed by Yoshinori Kitase
Yoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game producer and former game director that has been working for Square Enix since April 1, 1990. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and is currently the manager of 1st Production Department....
.
Yoshinori Kitase specifically chose Toriyama to be his successor as director of main series Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
games developed by Product Development Division 1 after the positive reception to Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, which was Toriyama's directorial debut. At the South Korean launch event of Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
, Yoshinori Kitase said that he wants to continue working closely with Toriyama on main series Final Fantasy games.
Game design philosophy
Motomu Toriyama has a similar game design philosophy to Yoshinori KitaseYoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game producer and former game director that has been working for Square Enix since April 1, 1990. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and is currently the manager of 1st Production Department....
. He believes his strength is in creating games that are very story-driven. He also believes that it becomes very difficult to tell a compelling story when the player is given a huge amount of freedom to explore. According to him, the most important aspect of a Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
game is the characters. Toriyama aimed for the game design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
of the first half of Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
to play like watching a film. The reason was so the player could become absorbed with the story and characters and not get distracted or lost.
He also highly values vibrant special effects being used in the battle system of the game he is directing; the main reason for Final Fantasy XIII not to have a seamless battle system was reportedly because it would not have been possible to have vibrant special effects in a seamless battle system due to the amount of memory and processing power needed. Toriyama is interested in using first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
games for inspiration rather than other role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
s, as he believes they give a better sense of tension during battles.
The position in the story and duties in battle of the female character depends on the game Toriyama is working on. He does not base heroines on real people as he always tries to make a unique world in a Final Fantasy game. However, he thinks that there is a constant challenge to make new characters not overlap with previous ones from the series. Toriyama has noted that seeing as making a main series Final Fantasy game takes several years, he would need to essentially fall in love at first sight with a character so he can really have the high morale and motivation to keep developing the game. He also said that when portraying a character in a game, he takes extreme care in their movements and voice. This begins with the motion-capture process, which he directs very intricately to prevent messing up the personification of the character. The voice acting comes last in this process, and the recorded voice essentially becomes the main image of the character and so the most delicate part of creating a character, according to him.
Works
| Game | Released | System(s) | Credit(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahamut Lagoon Bahamut Lagoon is a Japanese tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Super Famicom on February 9, 1996.It was never officially released outside of Japan, but it was unofficially translated into English... |
1996 | Super Nintendo Entertainment System Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short... |
Story event planner |
| Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VII is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009... |
1997 | PlayStation, Windows | Event planner, "Submarine Chase Section" planner |
| Racing Lagoon Racing Lagoon is a 1999 video game developed and published by Square. The game is unique in that it combines street racing with role-playing elements. The game's story follows a new member of a street racing team in 1999 Yokohama, Japan as he tries to learn about his forgotten past and a mysterious race that... |
1999 | PlayStation | Scenario writer |
| Final Fantasy X Final Fantasy X is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012... |
2001 | PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |
Director (event) |
| Final Fantasy X-2 Final Fantasy X-2 is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X... |
2003 | PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan... |
Director |
| Final Fantasy VII: Technical Demo for PS3 | 2005 | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... |
Director |
| Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is a real-time strategy RPG developed by Think & Feel and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the best-selling 2006 PlayStation 2 role-playing game Final Fantasy XII.... |
2007 | Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... |
Director, scenario writer |
| The World Ends With You | 2007 | Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... |
Special thanks |
| Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is a video game developed for the WiiWare service of the Nintendo Wii console by Square Enix... |
2008 | Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others... |
Scenario writer |
| Dissidia: Final Fantasy Dissidia: Final Fantasy is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008... |
2008 | PlayStation Portable PlayStation Portable The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... |
Scenario supervisor |
| Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord is a tower defense video game developed and published by Square Enix for the Wii and distributed through the WiiWare download service. It is the most recently announced game in the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series... |
2009 | Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others... |
Scenario writer |
| Blood of Bahamut Blood of Bahamut is an action role-playing video game developed by Think & Feel and published by Square Enix. It was released for the Nintendo DS in Japan on August 6, 2009.- Gameplay :... |
2009 | Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP... |
Director, scenario writer, event planner |
| Final Fantasy XIII Final Fantasy XIII is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series... |
2009 | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... , Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... |
Director, scenario designer |
| Front Mission Evolved Front Mission Evolved is a third-person shooter video game developed by Double Helix Games and published by Square Enix Co., Ltd. and was released in Japan on September 16, 2010, September 28, 2010 in North America, and October 8, 2010 in Europe. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360... |
2010 | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... , Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... , Windows |
Lead scenario writer |
| The 3rd Birthday The 3rd Birthday is an action role-playing game develpoed HexaDrive and published by Square Enix. The game was made for the PlayStation Portable and marks the third entry in the Parasite Eve series... |
2010 | PlayStation Portable PlayStation Portable The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... |
Scenario writer |
| Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy | 2011 | PlayStation Portable PlayStation Portable The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004... |
Special thanks |
| Final Fantasy XIII-2 Final Fantasy XIII-2 is an upcoming console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is being produced by Square Enix's 1st Production Department... |
2011 | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... , Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... |
Director, scenario designer |
External links
- Motomu Toriyama profile and photo gallery at the Square Haven People Database